Bottle capping machine



6 Sheets-Sheet l L. E. GREENE BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1936 July 20, 1937.

Fig 1 July 20, 1937. 1.. E. GREENE 2,087,539

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1956 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 20, 1937. E. GREENE BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 //llj/ 3mm 1; .257 Greene,

July 20, 1937. GREENE 2,087,539

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I 92 m4 w July 20, 1937. 1.. E. GREENE 2,087,539

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 L. E. GREENE BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 12, 1936 3 wu W, Li? Greem Snow Patented Juiy 20, 1937 7 H g 5 I 1,087,539 a UNITED STATES PATENT prlcg Linus E. Greene, Fitchburg, Mass, assignor to I Cowdrey Products Company, Inc., Fitchburg, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts L -Application August 12, 1936, Serial No. 95,655 19 Claims. (01. 226-86 This invention relates to automatic machines 8 rigidly carried at the'lowermost endof a tubufor capping bottles and like containers, having lar pillar 9 slidable in the bearing 3 and bolted or for its object to provide a construction simple in otherwise firmly secured as at it] to the underpart and more eflicient in operation than those side of the capping head generally indicated by heretofore proposed. the numeral II." The other miter gear 6 is at- 5 5 With these and other objects in view the inventached to one end ofa horizontally extending tion resides in the novel details of construction shaft l2 to the front end of which is fixed the and combinations of parts as will be disclosed hand wheel l3 by means of the rotation of which more fully hereinafter and particularly pointed the capping head may be raised or lowered with 10 out in the claims. I respect to the base i of the machineto accommo- 10 Referring to the accompanying drawings formdate bottles or containers of different heights. In ing a part of this specification and in which like order to lengthen the bearing 3 it may be found numerals designate like parts in all the views-.- desirable to secure a. tubular sleeve I4 above the Fig. 1 is a side elevation of theentire machine; top ofthe base I. Fig. 2 is a front elevationof the machine; .A liner, 20, is carried on the top of thebasei 15 Fig. 3 is a top-plan view of the machine with a and receives therethrough the lower squared end part of the cover broken away to illustrate more of a shaft 2| extending downwardly from the clearly some of the mechanism controlling the capper head, and disposed on the squared portion cap feeding and cap-applying apparatus; of this shaft is one end of a bent lever. 23 the Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the other end-of which is pinned as at 24 to one end head of the machine taken as on thellne 4-4 of of an adjustable link 25, the other end of said Fig. 6 and lookinginthe direction of the arrows; link being plnned as at 26 to a rod, 21 provided Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal plan view illuswith a horizontal hole therethroug-h in which. is trating the feeding of acap to capping position fitted a removable pin 2i! adapted to engage one over a bottle; 7 a of a plurality of holes 29 formed in 9. depending 25 Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken as on portion of a yoke'30 of substantially U-shape or the line 6- -B of Fig. 2 and'looking in the direction channel form, the upstanding sides of this. yoke of the arrows; having rigidly fixed thereto the two slides ll and Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view taken as on 32 disposed inahorizontal plane on opposite sides the line of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the line of bottle travel, as best seen in Fig. 1,

30 of the arrows; v and to these slides are secured spring pawls such 7 Fig. 7a is an enlarged detail view of the bent as indicated at 33. a rocker and its control spring; These pawls are of any well known formation Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view through one each carrying ahorlzontal arm 34 extending norof ,the'cappers and illustrating mechanism associmally in a direction transverse to the length of 5 35 ated therewith; said slides and are for the purpose oi engaging a Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional detailof the lower bottle and sliding said bottle over the base to! end of one of the cap magazines; the machine into bottle capping position as the Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view through slides are actuated. It will be understood that y 40 the lower end of a cap magazine; and the bottles are filled before they reach the 40 Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional detail illustrating capping machine and that these slides and pawls how the bottommost cap, in the stack of caps in will move the filled bottles step by step untilthey the magazine, is deposited-and the stack 0! caps reach the capping position, said pawls in their thereabove retained within the magazine until inoperative movement with respect to the bottles another cap is needed. I capable of having their arms pivotally yield 45 This machine comprises a base portion genagainst spring tension toslip past a bottle into erally indicated by the numeral i the legs of operative positiontherebehind' so that, upon the which are provided with nut and screw means nextoperative stroke of the slidesand pawls, that such as shown at -2 for levelling the machine on bottle will be moved toward capping position. the floor. This base portion has a flat top se- This bottle moving mechanism is well known in 50 cured to which is a long vertical bearing member /the art and therefore requires no further expla- 3 to the bottom of which is fixed a casting 1 carnation. The link 25.15 made adjustable, and the rying two mitergears 5 and 6, the miter gear, 5 plurality of holes 29 are provided in the yoke, to beingattached to the lower'end-of along worm I enable the pin 28 to be enga'geddn onev of said i '55 extending upwardly and threaded through a nut holes to control the step by step movement of the bottles as may be necessary when bottles of different diameters are to be capped by this machine, and the pawls 33 may be adiustably secured to their slides in accordance with the size "of the bottles, all as will be readily understood.

In the capping head there is a motor 40 with a built-in speed reducer generally indicated by the numeral 4| directly connected to rotate a drumshaped. cam member generally indicated by the.

numeral 42 all mounted-in suitable bearings, said member having a cam groove 43 formed inits cylindrical surface and a second'carn groove 44 formed in its vertical flat face. Running in the cam groove 43 is a roller 45 mounted on one end of a lever 46 the other end of which is securely pinned to the upper end of the vertical shaft 2| extending downwardly from the capping head and having the lower end of square formation as heretofore described. Therefore'it will be understood that the cam groove 43 causes oscillation or rocking, through the lever 46, of the shaft 2i, and this in turn oscillates the bent lever 23 to reciprocate the slides 8i and 32 carrying the bottle moving pawls 33 (see Figs. 1, '2, 4 and 7). The other cam groove 44 has running therein a roller 4'l carried intermediate the ends of a lever 48 extending from front to rear of the capping head, the rear end of said lever being pivoted as at 49 to the top of an eyed rodill held in vertical position by the guide lugs 5| and-62 formed integrally with the capping head. This rod has a collar 63 pinned thereto just under the upper lug iigand between this collar'and the floor of the capping head there is disposed a coiled spring 64 surrounding the rod, thereby normally establishing a tension sumcient'to force upwardly the pivoted end 49 of the lever 48, The forward end of this lever is pivoted to one endof a link SI, the

other end of which is pivotally connected as at 56 to the top of the capper carrier generally indicated by the numeral 51. Thus it will be understood that the cam groove'44 causes vertical movement of the forward end of the lever 48 thereby giving 1 vertical reciprocations to the capper carrier. Due

to the fact that bottles of like size vary slightly in height and the action of the cam groove 44, governing the verticalreciprocations of the capper carrier, is positive, and further that it is necessary that theheight of the bottles govern the position of the capper at the lower end or its stroke, it is necessary that provision be made for permitting a yielding of the lever 48 to allow the roller 41 to remain in said groove. 'This is accomplished by the spring 54 which permits a downward yielding of the rod 50. In other words, if a bottle is high and the end ofthe lever which is attached to the capper carrier reaches the end of'its stroke before the roller 41 has reached the limit of its throw, the rear end of said lever may be depressed or yield against the tension of the spring 54.

In the clipper carrier are twoholders 60 and 6| made to receive vertical tubular magazines 62 and 63 for the caps,-said holders so formed that the tubular magazines'may enter the top portion thereof but are restrained from passingentirely therethrough, such for example as by providing vthe internal shoulder indicated at inJ'lg. 9

against which the bottom of a magazine may rest. The magazinemaybe'made of glass so that the caps may be visible, or a window device such as indicated at 65 may be'provi'ded in'the wallof the holder, so. it may be known when-the stack of caps in the magazine needs replenishing. The caps in-the magazine are free to move down-Wardrollers 88 and 89, oneroller above ly therein by gravity to the bottom thereof, it being understood that the caps are nested in a magazine stack as indicated in Fig. 9, each cap being preformed with a downwardly extending skirt portion containing a plurality of partially folded pleats.

Each holder such as 44 at its lower end is provided with a plurality of spaced and pivowd cap supporting dogs, three being shown in the drawings. In other words and with particularv reference'to Figs. 4, 5, 9,10 and 11 it will be seen that 7 each dog such as I is centrally pivoted exteriorly of the magazine holder, the upper end of each dog being outwardly pressed from the holder by virtue of a spring 81, thereby forcing inwardly. the lower end ofthe dog. A roller 44 is freely supported at. thelowermost end of the dog and just thereabove there is provided an inwardly directed' toe I! of such extent that when the dog is moved outwardly by the spring 61, the toe will extend inwardly of the magazine to lie under-the edge of the lowermost cap such as It and support the entire stack of caps in the magazine, but when the" dog is oscillated about its pivot said toe will move outwardly with respect to the magazine and permit the stack of caps to drop.

As the cappe'r carrier nears the bottom of its down stroke the small roller 08 on a dog will contact with a cam surface. ll of the three-arm cam piece 12,each' arm having a similar cam surface for engagement with therollers of the other similarly formed d es. These rollers contact the cam surfaces through holes-such as ll formed in the cap receiving plate such as 14 to the underside of which the cam piecei's attached. Continued downward movement ofthe magazine therefore causes the rollers to ride over the cam surfaces and oscillate the dogs, causing the to outwardly from under the lowermost cap; in'the stack andpermit the to fall under the urge of gravity until the lowermost cap rests upon the 7 upper surface of the cap receiving plate 14 as seen in Fig-11. This happens at' the end of the down stroke of the magazine, and whenthe capper carrier starts its topstroke-the magazine will'move therewith, and the rollers 04 will ride upwardly oscillate the dogs to bring the toes thereof inwardly of the magazine to a position beneath the edge of the skirt of cap" in thestack next above the lowermost cap I0, and continued upward movement of the magazine causes the entirestack of caps to be carriedtherewi with the cap 14 then becoming the lowermost cap in the stack. since the cap II has heenleft deposited on the plate I over the cam surfaces so that the springs II will reach for, lateral movement into capv a lying position on the bottle in ama'nner which will be described later;

The cam groove 44 also has running therein a roller" carriedat one end of a bell crank lever 8i pivoted as at 83 the. other end of said lever being pivotally connected as at It to one end of an adjustable link 84 the other-end of which-is connected to a lug ll extending upwardly at the rear end of a horizontallyxreciprocable slide 44 working in the guides such as onithe floonof the capping head. The forward end of thisslide 'has an upstanding. pin -seemed thereto upon which are'mounted for-free rotation a pair of held in contact with these'rollersby the spring is .a pair of crossed arm-ill andllylikewise one above the other, and'pivoted respectively as attheir rear-ends to the capping oppodte sides of the slide It. See

at 93 and 94 head base on the other, and

Figs. 4 to '1 inclusive. Each arm carries, substantially midway its length and depending downwardly therefrom, a pin such as 95 normally resting behind the latch 96 upstanding from one end of the bent rocker 91 pivoted as at 98 to the capping head base as clearly illustrated in the left hand side of Fig. 5; Stop pins 99 and I00 are provided for the bent rocker 91 to limit the oscillatory swing thereof, and a spring IOI is coiled about a pointed rod yieldably held in a pivotally mounted stud, the axis of said rod'substantially bisecting the angle formed by. the arms of said rocker, thepointed end of said rod seated in a recess at the approximate median point of the rocker, whereby said spring pressed rod is capable of holding the bent rocker against the stop pins in either extreme of rocker movement by reason of the fact that the line of pressure of the spring passes from side to'side of therocker pivot 98 during movement of the rocker. A bar I02 carried by the slide 06 is adapted to contact one end of the bent rocker in the forward movement of the slide and move said rocker up against the stop pin I00 in which position the latch lug 96 carried by the rocker will be in position to engage the pin 95 and hold the cross arm 9i in the position shown in Fig.5.

Thus it will be understood that, upon the rearward movement of slide 86, the rollers 88 and 89 carried at the front end thereof will cause the crossed arms 9i and 92, to be oscillated about their pivots against the tension of the spring '90 device.

interconnecting the rear ends of said arms, and when this occurs the pin such as carried by each of said arms will travel in an arcuate' path,

ultimately striking and riding over the inclined vertical surface of the lug latch such as 95 formed on each of the similar and bent rockers such as 91, in this movement said pin oscillating its associated bent rocker about its pivot and ultimately coming to rest behind the lug latch thereof where said pin is retained until released in a manner to be described later. Here it might properly be stated that two similarcrossed arms are used, as well as two similar capmagazines, and two simi lar cap applying devices, because two bottles or containers are intended to be capped simultaneously by this machine, there being employed a second bent rocker I03 which is a duplicate of the rocker 91 but oppositely mounted with respect thereto on the other side of the slide 86 and cooperatively associated with the arm 92 all as will be clear from the drawings.

From what has just been described it will therefore be understood that a cap deposited from the magazine on the plate 14 may be slid by one of these crossed arms froma position beneath the magazine to apoint on the platen i04 under a capper device readyjfor application to a bottle, said platen held by the pair of rods I05 and springs I06 to the capper carrier 51. There are two capping devices of similar construction,

placed side by side, and generally indicatedin Fig. 2 by the numerals H0, and III, having identical operation and therefore in the following a description of ,onlyone of these devices will be given because of the numerous parts in each With particular reference to Fig. 8 the capper generally identified by the numeral III comprises a casing 2 which is hollow and cylindrical, and a cap I I3 which is telescopically connected with the casing and mounted outside it. This cap is integrally attached to the capper carrier 51 and hence is operated coincidentally caps contained in the'magazine, so that when. the

capper descends and a cap is engaged in the opening II4, the teeth or. conformations of said opening will register with the pleats of the cap, or. if accurate registration does not exist, the conformations and shape of said opening will cause a circular movement of the light, weight paper cap to bring the teeth or conformations and pleats into registry.-

As previously stated the cap deposited from the magazine will havebeen brought. by a crossed arm such as 92 over into bottle applying position over the aperture such as H5 formed in the platen I04 so that when a bottle is below said aperture the cap will be in position for application to .the bottle. In other words, as the cap carrier 51 descends a plunger H6, in the form of a circular plate attached to the bottom of a rod. I I1, is pressed by the spring .I I8 so as to hold the paper cap II9 against the top of the bottle I20, the spring II8 permitting however a yielding of the plunger as the casing II2 still further descends. This rod has a cross pin I2I .which operates in a pair of vertical slots I22 in a hollow cylinder I23. A partition I24 is fixed to the easing I I2 and on this partition are pivoted as at I25 a circular series of levers I28 having forming surfaces I21. i

As the casing I I2 descends still furthen-rollers I28 on said levers will engage a conical cam I29 fixedly mounted with respect to a cylinder I30 formed as av central inward extension of the cap I I3. Downward movement of this cam oscillates these levers so. that their lower endsare moved inwardly and the surfaces I21 come into contact with the peaks of the pleats on the bottle cap to press them downinto a position to fix the bottle cap tightly on the bottle. Between the two cylinders I23 and I30 is a coil spring I3I which tends to force-the cylinder I23 downwardly so that the plunger IIIi will be in position to hold the cap against the upper end of the bottle before the pivoted levers begin their operation of crimping the cap tightly about the neck\ of the bottle. The platen I04 is adapted through the rods I05 andv springs I06, to yield downwardly coming into the position shown in Fig. 8 at the end of the down stroke of the capper carrier so that the final securement of the cap to the bottle may be made above the plane of said platen; A garter spring I32 passes around the levers I20-to hold the rollers I28 against the cam I29. The construction and operation of this capper is substantially the sameas that disclosed in an application for U. 5. Letters Patent by Arthur C. Gough filed June 22, 1935 under the Serial No. 27,995 entitled Bottle capper. 1

When a bottle is beneath either cappenand the capper is forced down over the bottle to apply a cap, the rod I40 isheld back from part of the stroke and its relative position in the capper carrier is changed. In other words, the capper device has an upstanding lug I4I at the top thereof to which is pivotedqa rocker arm I42, one end ofthe armpivoted tothe upper extremity of the rod I.40,;the lower endof said rod having a pin and slot connection as indicated at I43 with the cylinder I23 previously described, the spring I3I normally tending to separate the members I23 and I40, but upon downward movement of the'capping device the presence of a move upwardly within-the capper casing Ill so that upon still further downward movement 01" the cappcr device and the telescoping .of the parts H2 and ill, the pin and slot connection I43 will ultimately be such that the rod I will move relatively upwardly out of the capper device thereby rocking the arm I. The other end of this arm is pivotally connected to a link Hi attached toone endof a. bell cranklever H5 pivoted as at 6 to a part of the capper carrier 61, the other end of the lever being ball shaped as indicated at it]. The position of this bell crank lever is such that when the capper carrier is in its lowermost position and the rod I" has had the relative movement just described,

the ball end I41 of said lever will have been moved tothe right as seen in Fig. 8 against the bent rocker 91 oscillating the latter and'releasing the pin OI from behind the latch I to free the crossed arm tl from its position shown in Fig. 7 5. When this is done the spring 8] will cause said arm 9i to be free to move thedeposited cap from its position at I to the capping position shown at 9. However, it is to be particularly-observed that this unlatching of the arm 'Oi takes-place only through the oscillation of the bell crank I and said crank is'only oscillated by virtue'of movement of'the rod I out of the upper end of the 'capper; inother words, when this relative movement does not take place, the ball end I" of the bell crank'lll will remain in a dependent vertical position as indicated in Fig.6. n Stated in other words'and with particular reference to Fig. 5 there is shown onthe left a view of the cap positioning crossed arm" in the position'occupied at the time when,"on the previous stroke, a bottle was under the right .hand capper (aperture ilIin platen I04) andreceived a cap. There was however, no bottle under the left hand capper wherefore the cap. furnished the left hand clipper during the previous cycle. may be seen in position, at III on platen I where "it will remain and move up and down with the platen until such time as itis placed on a bottle. Its

placement and securement on a bottle will, as

abovedescribed, cause the relative movement mentioned inconnection with the rod I", and this in turn will'throw the bell crank I to unlatch the cap positioning arm- Ql by movement of the bent rocker O1 to cause it to assume'an equivalent position to the bent'rocker lill shown in Fig. 5. The arm ll thereupon will follow its roller 88 during the next forward movement of the slide 86 and in this movement will shove the cap shownat I tothe position shown at I" under the capper ready to be applied to the next bottle, Fig. 5 showing in itsright hand half a similar movement being performed by the other cap positioning arm 02.

Hereinbefore it was stated that the spring illl was capable of holding the bent rocker 81 against either ofits stop pins -99, and I00 at thelimit oi movement of the rocker in either. direction. While this is true the following explanation should however be made. In Fig. iv the bar ll! is shown advancing'with the slide ll in the direction of the arrow, and makingcontact' with one arm of the bent rocker m.- Continued for ward motion of the slide willjcause said bar to tilt therocker until it comes torest'against the stop pin I50. On the next backward movement I of the slide the pin ISI, projecting downward from the cap positioning arm 92 will strike and ride over the oblique cam surface of the latch piece I62 on said rocker, moving the rocker slightly away from said stop pin ill until the pin iii has. passed-by said latch piece. This movement of the bent is not enough so that the line of prssure of the spring Ill has passed bythe pivot-center of the rocker, where-' fore the pressure of said spring will return said rocker to said stop pin I", It is only movement 'of the rocker as by the ball end of a bell crank 'such'asill that the'rocker i0! willbe' moved sufliciently toflop over against its other stoppin I It and remain there under pressure of its spring.

From the foregoing description it will thereforebe understood that thepawls u-feedthe illled bottles'in step-by-step manner the distance of two bottles at can; be capped simultaneously." Also that the each step. so 1 that two' bottles cap magazines til, 6i and the capping devices iii, Ill 'arelntegrally'joined together to move in unison as a cap carrier l'l,, andwhenthecap carrier moves upwardly :single caps are slid from positions below themagazines into positions under the cappers by the crossed arms ll, 9: workingunder tension'against the superposed rollers .8. l9 carried'by the slide a, and that when the cap carrier moves downwardly said caps are applied to the bottles while atthe same timethe lowermost cap in each magazineis being deposited on the cap receiving plate such as N to be laterally slid to'cappingposition upon the next upward movement of the'ycap carrier, thereby completing a cycle, which is repeated so long as the drum cam 42 is rotated. The slide is reciprocated in time with the reciprocations of the cap carrier, the slide moving forwardly during the raising of the cap carrier and'moving rearwardly during the lowering of saidcap carrier, with the crossed arms having their cap en.- gaging" ends moved in adirection toward the magazines by the rearward movement of the slide, and; said ends moved in a direction toward the cappers by the forward movement of said slide. This is all contrclled'by the cam whose grooves 43, ll areso formedthatone complete revolution ofthe cam causes a complete cycle of the above recited operatingmechanisms.

It is obvious that those skilled in the a'rtmay vary details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of this invention, and therefore it is not desired to be limited to theexact foregoingdescription except as may be necessary by the claims. What is claimed i'si,

1. In a bottle capping machine t e more.

tionof means to move a bottle into capping position; means to deliver a bottle ofcap's to aposition fen. application to shottie, said deliveryv means includlnga member ia'sh- I ioned for engagement with a latch; a latchengageable with said member to hold the same against operable movement: areciproc'able capping device iorapplying the" delivered cap toa positioned bottle; and means controlled by the cappingmovement of said device. for disengaging saidlatch and said member, said means, including a member given bodily movement axiallyof' said device, said. member operable only when a.

' a bottle cap from a supply of caps to a posi.

bottle; ajlatch to preof said arm; a reciprotionpfor application to a vent swinging movement cap from'a supply 3. In a bottle capping machinethe combina-r tion of means to move a bottle into capping position; a swingable arm to move a bottle cap to a position for application to a bottle; a capping device including a plunger for applying the delivered cap to a positioned bottle; and means for rendering the swingable arm operable only when a bottle is in the capping position, said rendering means including a member given bod-' ily movement axially of said plunger by contact of said plunger with the positioned bottle.

4. In a bottle capping machine the combination of means to move a bottle into capping p sition; a swingable arm to move a bottle cap to a position for application to a bottle; a reciprocable capping device including a plunger for applying the delivered cap to a positioned bottle; and means for rendering the, swingable armoperable only when a bottle is in the capping position, said rendering means including a member coaxial with said plunger and given delayed axial movement relative thereto by contact of said plunger with the positioned bottle.

5. In a bottle capping machine the combination of means to move a bottle into capping position; a swingable arm to move a bottle cap to a position for application to a bottle; a reciprocable capping device including a plunger for applying the delivered cap-to avpositioned bottle; and means for rendering the swingable arm operable only when a bottle is in the capping position, said rendering means including a reciprocable member coaxial with said plunger and having relative movement with respect to said device, said member carried by said device and given relative longitudinal reciprocation by contact of said plunger with the positioned bottle.

6. In a bottle capping machine the combination of means to move a bottle into capping position; latchable means from a supply of caps to a position for application to a bottle; a capping device for securing the delivered cap to a positioned bottle, said device comprising a casing having a cap portion telescopically connected therewith, the casing having an opening in the end adapted to receive the open end of a bottle having a cap loosely mounted thereon, said casing further provided with a relatively yieldable plunger for holding the loosely mounted cap against the end of the bottle during the securing of the cap on the bottle, said casing and its cap portion being adapted to be moved longitudinally of the bottle, said casing having pivoted levers therein adapted to press the skirt of the cap into secured position upon the bottle, the cap portion of the casing carrying means for operating said levers when said cap portion is forced toward the bottle, and the cap portion of the casing carrying a member yieldably connected with and actuated by said plunger; and means for rendering thecap delivering means operable only when a bottle is in the capping position, said rendering means including a latch and latch operating devices disposed between said latch and said member, said latch operating devices actuated by said member.

7. In a bottle capping machine the combinato deliver a bottle cap tion of a plate; a cap magazine vertically reciprocable above said plate; spring pressed pivoted dogs carried by said magazine, each dog having a toe movable through the wall of said magazine and adapted to support the stack of caps in the magazine by engagement underthe edge of the lowermost cap in the stack; a cam member carried by said plate and adapted to move each dog against the tension of its spring as said magazine nears the end of its downward travel, the toe of each dog being withdrawn from the magazine by such movement to permit the stackof caps to drop upon said plate,- each dog having reverse movement as said magazine starts its upward travel to bring the toe of the dog inwardly of the magazine into position under the edge of the next to lowermost cap in the stack, whereby upon continued upward travel-of. the magazine the lowermost cap will be left deposited upon the plate and the remainder of the caps in the stack will travel with the magazine; a capper reciprocable with said magazine; and means operable over said plate to move the deposited cap to a position beneath said capper.

8. In a bottle capping machine the combination of a vertically reciprocable carrier consisting of a cap magazine and a capper joined thereto; a stationary plate disposed below the magazine; a platen disposed belowthe capper, said platen being in the plane of said plate when the carrier is in its upper positions but adapted to, move vertically with the carrier when the latter is in its lower positions; means to deposit upon'said plate the lowermostcap in the magazine as the magazine is completing its downward movement, and to retain in the magazine all of the caps thereabove as the magazine moves upwardly; and means to slide the deposited cap to a position on said platen beneath saidcapper when said plate and platen are in planar registry.

9. In a bottle capping machine the combination of a vertically reciprocable carrier consisting of a cap magazine and a capper joined thereto; a stationary plate disposed below the magazine; a platen disposed below the capper, said platen being in theplane of said plate whenthe carrier is in its upper positions but adapted to move vertically with the carrier when the latter is in its lower positions; means operable through the plane of said plate to deposit upon said plate the lowermost cap in the magazine as the magazine is completing its downward movement, and to retain in the magazine all of the caps thereabove as the magazine moves upwardly; and means to slide the deposited cap to a position on said platen beneath said capper when said plate andplaten are in planar registry.

10. In a bottle capping machine the combination of a vertically reciprocable carrier consisting of a cap magazine and a capper joined thereto; a stationary plate disposed below the magazine; a platen disposed below the capper, said platen being in the plane of said plate when the carrier is in its upper positions but adapted to move vertically with the carrier when the latter is in its lower positions; means including members disposed above and below the upper surface of said plate to deposit upon said plate the lowermost cap in the magazine as the magazine is completing its downward movement, and to retain in the magazine all of the caps thereabove as the magazine moves upwardly; and means to slide the deposited cap to a position on said platen beneath said capper when said plate and platen are in planar registry.

is in its lower positions; means including two coacting members, one membercarried by the magazine and the other member disposed beneath said plate, to deposit upon said plate the lowermost cap in the magazine as the magazine is completing its downward movement. and to retain in the magazine all of the caps thereabove as the magazine moves upwardly; and means to slide the deposited cap to a position on said platen beneath said capper when said plate and platen are in planar registry.

12. In a bottle capping machine the combination of a vertically reclprocable carrier consisting of a cap magazine and a capper Joined there-' to; a stationary plate disposed below the magazine; a platen disposed below the capper, said platen being in the plane of saidplate when the carrier is in its upper positions but adapted to, move vertically with the carrier when the latter 7 is in its lower positions; means to depositupon said plate the lowermost cap in the magazine as the magazine is completing its downward move- "ment, and to retain in the magazine all of the caps thereabove as the magazine moves upwardly; means to slide the deposited cap to a position on said platen beneath said capper when said plate and platen are in planar registry; and

means to render said cap sliding means inoperable when said platen has. a'cap thereon.

13. In a bottle capping machine the combination of a vertically reciprocable carrier consisting of a cap magazine'and a capper Joined thereto; a stationary plate disposed below the magazine; a platen disposed below the capper, saidplaten being in the plane of said plate when the carrier is in its upper positions but adapted to move vertically with the carrier when the latter is in its lower positions; means to deposit upon said plate the lowermost cap in the magazine as the magazine is completing its downward movement, and to retain in the magazine all of the caps thereabove as'the magazine moves upwardly; latchable means to slide the deposited cap to a position on said platen beneath said capper when said plate and platen are in planar registry; and means controlled by movement of said capper and including a latch engageable with said cap sliding means for releasing the cap sliding means only after the previous platen-carried cap has been applied to a bottle.

14. In a bottle capping machine the combination of a carrier comprising a magazine for a supply of caps and a capper joined to said magazine for movement therewith; means to feed a bottle to a position beneath the capper for application of a cap thereto; means to feed a cap from the magazine to a position between the capper and a bottle to be capped; and means to control the movements of said carrier. said cap feeding means, and said bottle feeding means, said control means-comprising a single actuating member mounted upon an operating shaft, and cooperating connections between said member and the respective means to be controlled.

15. In a bottle capping machine the combination of a carrier comprising a reciprocable magazine adapted to deposit at one limit of its movement 1 cap from a supply of caps, and a capper Joined to said magazine for movement therewith; means to feed a bottle to a position beneath the capper for application oiya cap thereto; means to feed a cap from its deposited position to a position between the capper and a bottle'to be capped; and meansto control the movements of said carrier, saidcap feeding means, and said bot-tie feeding means, said control means com prising a single actuating"drum-cam mounted upon an operating shaft. and cooperating connections'between said drum-cam and the respec* v tive means to be'controlled. 16. In a bottle cappingmachine the combination of a carrier comprising a magazine for a supply of caps and 'a'capper Joined to said magazine for movement therewith; means to feed a bottle to a position beneath the capper for application of a cap thereto; means to feed a cap from the magazine to a position between the capper and a bottle to be capped; and means to control the movements of said carrier, said cap feeding 7 means, and saidvbottle feeding means, said control means comprisin'g a single rotating drum having two cam; grooves formed therein 00- operatively receiving members for actuating the respective means to be controlled.

17. In a bottle capping machine the combina tion of, a carrier comprising a magazine for a supply of caps and aca'pper Joined to saidmagazine for movement therewith; means to feed a bottle toa position beneaththecapper forap plication of a cap thereto: means to feed a cap from the magazinejto a position between the capper and a'bo'ttle to be capped; anda rotating .drum having one cam groove formed in its cylin-' drical face andasecond cam groove formed in one of its flat faces, and actuating members cooperatively associated withsaid grooves to control the movements of said'carrier. said cap feed-' ing means, andsaid bottle feeding means.

1a. In a bottle canpins machine the combination of a carrier comprising a magazine for a supply of ca'ps anda capper ioinedto said mags-'- zine for movement therewith: means to feed a bottle toga position beneath the capper for application of a capthereto; means to feed a cap from the magazine to a position between the capper and a bottleto be capped; a rotating drum having one cam groove formed in one of its flat faces, and'having a second. cam groove formed in its cylindrical face; and actuating members cooperatively associated with said grooves to con trol the movements of said carrier and said cap feeding means through the formation of one of said grooves, and to control the movement of said I bottle feeding means through the formation of the other of said grooves.

19. In a bottle cappingmachine the combin'a- I tion of means to feed a bottle to capping position; a magazine for a supplyof caps including means to feed a cap from the magazine to a position above a bottle to be capped; a capper for applying the positioned cap to the bottle, said capper comprising a casing and a cap portion, telescopically associated therewith, said casing and its cap portion adapted to be reciprocated, said casing open at itsbottom to receive the top of an open bottle and the capqto be applied thereto upon the downward movement of the capper, a plunger within the casing adapted to hold the positioned cap against the top of the bottle while the cap is being secured thereto, a series of pivoted levers within the casing adapted tocrimp theedges of the cap about the bottle. a tubular member carried by the cap portion of the copper and having a cone shaped cam formed thereon for operating the pivoted levers, a. tube yieldably supported within the tubular member and having yieldabie relation with the end of said plunger, 9.-

rod slidabie within said tube with a pin and slot connection therebetween adapted to permit a delayed action of said rod when said plunger and said tube are moved relative to the capper by contact between said plunger and a bottle; and, connections between said rod and the can feed ing means whereby a. cap is ted to canning pom-- tion only when a bottle is in the canning oosi tion. v

LEWS 333. 

